


Flowery Advice for an Inexperienced Magical Girl

by WhatsaMolar



Category: Original Work
Genre: Blood Drinking, Dubious Science, Dumb lies lead to dumb problems, For Science!, Gen, Genderswap, Hiding a mascot character is hard when they aren't a small cute animal, It's not a Magical Girl either, Magical Girls, Main protagonist hasn't even watched a Magical Girl show, Main protagonist is also a bit of an asshole, Main protagonist isn't a big fan of "girly things", Mild Language, Platonic Relationships, Thankfully his friend did, Things get weird, Weird Biology
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 13:39:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 17,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16409489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhatsaMolar/pseuds/WhatsaMolar
Summary: One night, Hisato Yoshida, an ordinary short-tempered teen, is rudely awakened by an odd girl breaking into his house. However, his life takes a weird turn when it turns out to be a dying host of a monster that almost completely absorbs him. Worse still, he - now she - runs into a magical girl and becomes her monstrous mentor in an attempt to save herself...with no knowledge or patience needed for this role. The future ahead of them is uncertain.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the record, this isn't one of those darker takes on the genre even if this isn't really normal. I think there's enough of that at this point. Still, I wanted to try something a little different here.
> 
> There's plenty of swearing, but it's apparently okay for a T rating according to ESRB.
> 
> You might find some similarities with my other work, but they are two completely different things.

 

The sound of glass breaking and something falling onto the floor rouses me.

With a foul mood, I get up from bed and make my way towards whatever the hell interrupted my well-deserved sleep. I swear if somebody decided to break in, I'm gonna give them a beating they won't forget for a while. It's a little too loud for anyone with half a brain to do it, but hey, idiots exists and I've met plenty. It could also be someone that desperate for quick cash. Whatever's the case here, nobody is leaving my house unharmed.

When I reach the room this sound came from and open the door, the first thing I notice is faint blue glow by the window...Spears? The hell is this shit? They are sticking out of something lying on the ground and they look pretty damn fancy, but they look out of place here. To get a better idea of what I'm dealing with here, I turn on the lights, revealing a g- Shit, she's alive, but she's bleeding out like a stuck pig.

"Hey, hang in there! I'll call the ambulance!" - I tell the girl.

With no time to waste, I rush back to my room and grab my phone. I dial the number and wait for any response, but for some reasons, it doesn't go through. Cursing under my breath, I look for my first aid kit. I don't have the time to rummage through it and so I take the whole thing and run back to the wounded girl.

How do I even approach this? I had my fair share of bruises, cuts and fractures, but I never had to deal with this kind of crap! Should I pull out the spears or will that make everything worse? I've heard that it's better not to remove arrows and spears are like giant arrows, right? How many are there anyw...

Wait...Why is she wearing a straitjacket? It looks a little weird and it's also unfastened. How did she even get here anyway? This is the fourth floor and there is absolutely nothing that could have helped her climb up that high, with or without bloody spears sticking out of her back. Am I really dealing with a nutcase here? But it's a girl and she's dying, so, I can't just let her bleed out. I should check if she has anything else for me to worr-

The moment I touch her, the numerous spears vanish and her flesh starts collapsing into freaking dust! People are NOT supposed to do that! What on earth is going on here?! And the smell...Actually, it's rather pleasant...but that just makes it worse! What am I even supposed to do about this?

Then, when enough of the girl's body has turned into dust, I notice something emitting a red glow where her chest was a few seconds ago. It's like a sphere with vines growing out of it. I don't even know what's gonna happen next, but I have a bad feeling about it. I think I should lea-

Something wrapping around my neck quickly makes that idea worthless. It doesn't take me long to realize that it's a vine growing out of that damn sphere, but how can that piece of shit be this strong? It's hard to keep not fall over with its erratic movements, but I still manage to kick that thing. I expected it to fly out of the window, but it doesn't even budge! Maybe I just have to kick it harder?

Shit, it's getting hard to breathe...Is this really the end? To be strangled to death by a freaking vegetable in the middle of the night? No, that's bullshit! I'm not giving up so easily! Even if that piece of shit kills me, I've gotta make sure that it dies as well...I have to...I...

* * *

I squeeze my eyes shut when I hear my alarm clock losing its damn mind. I reach out to turn it off, but my hand meets the carpet instead...Did I pass out on the floor? But I don't drink...not yet at least and if I was that exhausted, I would have collapsed onto my bed instead. When I try to recall what happened last night, nothing comes to m-

I stand up with a groan when that stupid thing starts ringing with renewed vigour. I've gotta turn that shit off first...Damn, my head feels heavy...but it's not heavy enough for me to ignore the alarm clock and so I head towards my bedroom as I rub my eyes. It almost feels like it's taking longer to reach it than usual, but I'm also a little drowsy right now.

A-ha! Here's that thing! I'm almost tempted to smash it into pieces, but I wouldn't buy it if it didn't wake me up so easily and I don't wanna look around for a new alarm clock. I reach out for the annoying piece of shit and turn it off with a little more force than need...Wait a damn second...

For a good minute or two, I keep staring at my arm or rather the sleeve it's poking out of. It's white and it flares out greatly past my elbow, with several black belts hanging off its hems. When I raise my other arm, I see the same thing. I certainly don't remember wearing this...or having such tiny hands.

I immediately run out of the room and head towards my bathroom. I've gotta be tripping out to be seeing this kind of shit, but I have a really bad feeling. What sounds like pitter-patter of tiny feet and the way everything looks so damn big only makes me run faster. With my increased pace, I reach the bathroom in a few seconds and swing open the door, wincing a little when it slams against the wall with a bang. Somehow, the whole thing fills me with dread despite being so freaking ridiculous. I'll just take a look at the mirror and...and...

There's no way in hell this is my reflection. Somehow, a little girl is staring back at me from the mirror with her large red eyes. When I blink, she blinks as well. I stick my tongue out, stretch out my cheeks and even stick a finger up my nose and she repeats everything with no delay at all. But there is one thing that she's not gonna repeat. I have short hair and hers is pretty damn long, so, I should be fine, but she certainly won't be. I slowly reach out for what's going to be that long lock of hair sticking out of her head and firmly...grip...it...

I turn away from the mirror and lower the strand of hair I'm holding between my fingers. To my surprise, I clearly see and feel it. I quickly let it go and move my hands behind my back. The blood in my veins freeze when I feel something silky and when I gather as much of it as I can and move it closer to get a better view, I see long white hair. Even if I just stare at nothing, I can still see white eyelashes in my vision.

"...What...the hell..." - I mutter, which only makes the whole things worse because the voice I hear is way too soft and...girly. No matter how many different vowels I utter, my voice doesn't go back to normal.

Then, something finally clicks in my head and I vividly recall that night. Where did that piece of shit go? Did it climb out of the window while I was out? God, that didn't cause any brain damage, did it? That would explain so much...but I don't remember hitting my head that freaking hard before that happened and this feels too damn real.

This outfit...This is the straitjacket that girl was wearing, isn't it? It seems larger than before, but it's clearly the same thing and now that I can take a closer look at it, it's completely wrong. I can't even figure out how to fasten it. It looks like it was made to look like a stylized straitjacket with no actual utility. Hell, it even looks like a weird dress with this belt binding the waist so tightly. It's more like a Halloween costume than anything...but I'm sure as hell what I saw back there wasn't a cheap trick.

Of course the more important thing is that I look like a little girl with stupidly long white hair and red eyes. If I remember correctly, the girl that turned into ash looked a lot like this, but she was older. Did that thing do this? But how and why? Who was that girl? What was that thing? How do I even fix this?

My train of thoughts grinds to a halt when I feel something really weird...weirder than everything already is. I hastily move all that hair out of the way to take a look at what's bothering me...and see something long, green and spiky poking out from underneath the straitjacket. It looks like it's about as long as I am tall right now...which really isn't much, but that's not what matters. What matters is that I have a goddamn tail! The rest of this shit is manageable, but this is just...

Wait...

I slowly reach out for the hem of the straitjacket and slowly lift it with shaking hands. I swear if it's not there...Please...Anything but this...

...

...

"FU-"


	2. Call for Help

I hastily type the message addressed to the only person I know of that can fix this mess.

Tatsuo Deguchi, an upperclassman studying at the same school I attend. I still remember our meeting very well. That four-eyed wimp got into some deep shit because some punks couldn't get the gears working in their heads and demanded "assistance". Since he still had a stick up his ass, he refused and almost got his shit kicked in, but he got lucky and I saw the whole thing about to unfold. Didn't sit well with me and so I beat the crap outta them instead. I wouldn't say we're best buddies or anything and he's into some weird shit I really don't understand, but he does help me do my homework and I try to get him out of trouble if possible. It's like a mutually beneficial relationship or something.

If there's anyone who can help me, it's that four-eyed weirdo.

"Tatsuo get your ass over here I need your help"

With the message written, I send it and so begins the wait for his response.

Somehow, I found no traces of the girl or the monster in that room. I don't even know where that dust went, but then again, what would I even do with it? Get rid of it with a vacuum cleaner and dump everything somewhere? Really, the only proof that something ever happened is the broken glass and a bit of blood, which I'm pretty sure didn't belong to that damn vegetable or the girl...Were those two one being or was the girl someone in the same situation I got myself into?

Before I can think about that, I receive a message.

"I'm sort of busy here, I have classes starting in an hour and so do you."

"Screw that, this is more important"

"You said that plenty of times and it never was that important. If you want my notes, then don't beat around the bush and tell me so."

My grip on the phone tightens as I think of how to convince Tatsuo to come. It's not like he lives that far away from me. He's not gonna lose more than twenty minutes. Is it really gonna kill him if he is late for classes?...Knowing him, that might actually give him a heart attack...Damn it, what should I do?!

...

"Please you have to come this is serious"

I'm not sure how much time passes as I simply stare at the screen. I don't even notice how I curl my...tail around myself until I feel something moving on my lap. Fortunately, the thorns covering it are pressed close to the skin and so I don't end up piercing anything with it, but it's still an utterly alien feeling.

Finally, another message comes and I tear my eyes away from that green appendage.

"You? Saying "please"? I don't know what's going on, but I guess I can take a look in a few minutes. Just make it quick."

That four-eyed bastard...

I can't help but heave a sigh of relief. I'm glad that it didn't take too long to convince him. Now all I have to do is wait for him to arrive. I'll use that time to change into something different. The straitjacket is surprisingly comfortable, but it's also a goddamn straitjacket. I can't even think of what he's gonna think if he sees me wearing this...or what he'll say when he sees me period.

Anyway, I climb down from my bed and walk towards my closet. I hate how high the door handles are now, but I don't have that much shit inside and this is all temporary, so, it's not really a problem. A T-shirt and a pair of pants should be enough.

...Well...Uh...How do I even begin? I've already seen something I regret seeing, but I really doubt there's anything underneath the straitjacket except for underwear. I'd be much less hesitant if I didn't look like I'm a ten years old girl. Needless to say, I feel pretty damn uncomfortable. It makes me wish wish I could punt that stupid vegetable across a vast field into the horizon where it would vanish from my sight.

...Once I gather my bearings, I slowly unfasten each belt starting with the one binding my waist up to the one binding my neck. The whole thing is still dumb as hell, especially on a child. It probably looked better on that older girl even if that's not really saying much at all. At the very least it's clean and in a surprisingly good condition considering that it had several spears sticking out of it. There aren't even any bloodstains left, which is more confusing.

At last, I remove what's most likely one of the only two articles of clothing I'm wearing and quickly grab the T-shirt I chose with closed eyes. When I put it on, I immediately notice how big it is now. It's very loose and my shoulders poke out of the neckline, but it's long enough to cover whatever I don't wanna see. Unfortunately, my pants are too long and loose to actually wear them and so I throw them back into the closet.

Just as I'm about to climb onto my bed again, I hear the doorbell ring. Well, that was quick. I guess he really doesn't want to waste any time and neither do I. With that in mind, I quickly make my way towards the door and open it...Dear God, he looks giant. I have to crane my neck up just to look at that blue-haired punk's face.

"...Uh...Hi? Is Hisato Yoshida home?" - Tatsuo asks, clearly not comfortable with talking to what looks like a stranger, especially one dressed like this.

"It's me, you idiot!" - I yell at the bespectacled man, but he merely raises an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? I...Hisato, if you don't come here and tell me why you called me, I'm leaving immediately." - he gives a loud warning as if I'm not standing right in front of him. Alright, I think I know how to make him recognize me.

"You sleep with your custom Mami body pillow every Friday night." - I say with a straight face. THAT draws Tatsuo's attention.

For a while, we just stare at each other. The blue-haired upperclassman takes off his glasses to polish them a few times, but he remains completely silent with an unreadable expression on his face. I try to say something, but nothing comes to mind and so I stare back without uttering a word. The staring contest finally reaches its end when he walks in and closes the door behind himself.

And then he bursts out laughing. It keeps going for a good minute or two and it's actually starting to creep me out.

"W-What's so funny?!" - I cry out indignantly, but his laughter doesn't die down.

"Have...Have you even seen yourself? I-I mean this whole situation is just..." - Tatsuo wheezes in-between his intakes of air, which only pisses me off even more.

And that's why I kick him in his shin with my tiny foot. Sounds pretty damn painful...buuuut he deserves it.

* * *

"Let me get this straight: you're telling me that some girl broke into your house with spears embedded into her body, then a plant monster attacked you when she disintegrated into dust and now you're...this? Did I get everything right?" - the blue-haired man asks as he pushes his glasses up his nose.

"Yeah...So...Uh, when will you get to work?" - I ask.

"What do you mean? Wait, do you really think I can do something about this?" - Tatsuo asks for clarification like it's actually needed here.

"Why, of course! You're the smart guy, right? I bet you can brew something or do your science stuff. I've seen some of the really cool stuff you made." - I reply, which makes him rub the bridge of his nose.

"That's...That's not how it works! Not at all! I mean...where do I even begin...False reports aside, monster or alien attacks like this aren't really something people have ever dealt with, let alone...this. I have nothing to work with here...or maybe I do...I might be able to get something working once I dissect and thoroughly examine you." - he suggests and the way he looks at me while saying it makes me feel a chill run down my spine.

"I-Is there no other way?" - I ask in response, getting even more nervous when he leans closer. I swear I HEAR his glasses gleam with delight.

"...Take it easy, I'm simply messing with you. There might be a way to fix this, but I need time...A lot of time." - the four-eyed bastard says. This really isn't the time for jokes and I'm pretty sure he never was like this before...but I can't just punch him right now.

"And what am I supposed to do until then?" - I ask with a sigh.

"I suggest staying out of trouble. If you want to, you can stay at my place for a bit." - he generously offers.

"Like hell I will!" - I protest loudly although I doubt he had any dirty thoughts on his mind. He's not into that kind of shit.

"Well, if you say so. My offer still stands. Now then, I have to get going or else I'll be late. I'll see you in the evening." - Tatsuo says as he stands up and heads towards the exit.

As soon as I hear the door close, I plop onto my bed and yell into the pillow as loudly as I can to went out some of my frustration.


	3. Respite

Somehow, when I'm waiting for something, it becomes pretty damn hard to pass the time. Watching TV didn't go anywhere since nothing really happens around here and it's still early for anything interesting and I can't go outside with nothing but a T-shirt or that weird straitjacket I put back on for the sake of comfort. The only shoes I have are too big to wear right now and I doubt my tail is going to remain unnoticed, with or without all this hair in the way.

Speaking of which, I should probably do something about it. Even if I walk with my back ramrod straight, at least half a foot of hair ends up dragging along the floor. That probably won't be enough to trip over it, but it's still gonna be too much of a pain in the ass to leave it as it is.

I retrieve my pair of scissors from a dresser and make my way towards the bathroom. Never thought I'd have to use them to cut hair. Then again, I would have never thought of something this stupid happening either and yet here I am, walking around in the body of a weird little girl. The way that lock of hair bounces with each step is getting on my nerves, but it's not a big deal and it will be gone soon.

When I reach the bathroom, I walk up to the mirror and immediately bring the tool close to the lock of hair sticking out of my head. Kind of a shame to cut something like this, but it won't be here for long anyway. Might as well make things more comfortable for myself. Now, in one quick motion...

...Huh? Why...Why aren't they cutting it? Did the scissors get dull or something? Just to be sure, I walk back to my bedroom and grab a sheet of paper from the dresser. Now that gets cut without any problems, but when I make another attempt to cut my hair, it ends in a failure. I consider using a knife, but I've got a feeling that it ain't gonna work either. It feels silky-smooth and it's not too heavy, so, how is it this durable?

Whatever, I'll just do my best to ignore it. It's not like I'll have to deal with this shit for that much longer...right? Tatsuo did say that it's going to take some time, but he didn't tell me how much time exactly. I'm gonna assume it won't' take longer than a week, but...God, I hope mom decide to pay a visit before this whole thing is dealt with. I can't even imagine her reaction, but that shit ain't gonna be pretty, that's for sure.

A-Anyway, I still don't have anything to do. Doing nothing beats going to school, but that's not saying much. I'm not the kind of guy who bothers reading books and I sure as hell won't read some of the manga that geek lent me. Not even sure how that happened. I'm pretty sure I've made it clear that I prefer the real deal. Still, I can't really throw it out. Sounds like a dick move to me.

I think I'll go get something to eat for now. I don't feel like making breakfast and I'm not sure if I can handle a bowl of instant noodles right now. This body seems too damn small for that. It might be real great if I decide to savor the taste though. There are some snacks I really like, but it's all gone before I know it. I've gotta get something good out of this whole mess somehow.

With the scissors thrown back into the drawer I got them from, I walk out of the bedroom and head towards the kitchen. Once there, I grab a bag of potato chips from the pantry and quickly open it, wasting no time to stuff my face with its contents. Thankfully, the taste of chips doesn't feel any different from what I'm used to. I just have more to chew and I guess I have to chew more so nothing gets stuck in my throat. Can't really say for sure. Never paid any attention to that kind of pointless crap.

Still, being so small doesn't feel right. I mean I certainly was a squirt at some point in the past, but that's because I was just a little boy. Now this...I'm not even sure why I'm so damn small. That girl certainly wasn't a child and the thing that was inside her...Yeah, there's no reason why I'm a pipsqueak now. The worst part is having to look up to talk to Tatsuo when he's usually shorter than me. I bet he felt real great about it once he learned what the hell was going on

Looks like the bag is already empty. Didn't even notice that. Well, whatever.

Once I dump the empty bag into a trash can and wash my hands, I go back to the bedroom. Playing video games to kill time sounds like a good idea. I sit down in front of my TV and turn on the console. There are still plenty of games I haven't finished. I just can't find the time to get back to it even when I have plenty of free time to waste. But first, I should draw the curtains. It's a little dark here.

...What...What is this feeling? It's like...Hm...It's like drinking hot chocolate in a very cold winter night...No, that's not quite right...It's really hard to describe. It feels so damn good, but...it's just sunlight! It shouldn't feel like this! A sunny day isn't anything out of the ordinary and yet I feel like lying down, curling up and basking in the sunlight...That doesn't sound like a bad idea...Yeah, I'll just do that...

* * *

...Huh? Did I actually fall asleep? I can already see the stars in the sky, but it was early when I decided to take a nap. Well, there's nothing wrong with that. I was waiting for the night to come and I feel refreshed. I can't recall the last time I felt so good. Like "warm and cozy" kind of good.

I stretch out my limbs...and my tail before standing up to finally turn off the console and check my phone. There's one missed call from Tatsuo. Fortunately, it's pretty recent and so I try to call him. It doesn't take long for him to pick up the phone.

"Hey there. Did ya want something? Please tell me you found the solution." - I ask.

" _...Right. It's you. It feels so...surreal hearing a voice like this coming from you...among many other things. I wanted to ask you for something. I need some of your genetic material before and after the incident to get started. Can you provide me with, say, your hair or skin tissue?_ " - he asks in response.

"Yeah, about that...You see, there's some really weird shit going on with my hair. I can't cut it. Not sure what to do with my real...uh, material. I don't keep that kind of stuff." - I reply. For a while, he remains silent, probably thinking real hard about it.

" _...Uh, I'll just think of something else. Have a good night!_ " - the blue-haired man says before ending the call. He really can't wait to get to work, can he?

For some reasons, I have a really bad feeling like something's about to happen. No matter how hard I try to ignore it, it doesn't go away. What's going o-

I hear some odd noise coming from the same room where I found that damn vegetable came from. It doesn't sound like a stray cat climbed through the still broken window...something that's pretty much confirmed when I hear footsteps coming from the same direction. I'm just going to assume that something else's out to get me and I'm in deep shit.

Buuut I'm not about to sit there, waiting for someone to come for my ass. If they're looking for trouble, they're gonna get it and I'll make sure they won't ask for seconds. With my fists itching for a fight, I walk out of the room to find whoever dares to enter my apartment. I don't care how small I am. They are gonna get a beating of their life and I'm gonna enjoy it.

As soon as I reach my destination, I open the door and barge into the room.

"Alright, who wants a piece...of..."

...Well...Can't say I expected a little girl to be the intruder. Her outfit is...weird, to say the least. An unbuttoned red greatcoat with yellow designs, a red and yellow tricorn with a very long white feather, a white dress shirt with a red tie, a short red skirt along with silver gauntlets, shoulderpads and leg armor make up her attire. I mean I can't really judge her preferences, especially when she's holding a large sword in her hands...which she's slowly raising.

"Oh for fu-"


	4. Fiery Magical Knight: Manami

I barely manage to move out of the attack's range before ducking to dodge a rather telegraphed horizontal slash. Normally, this is where I'd punch someone like this in the face, but I can't bring myself to harm a little girl and hesitation is going to get me killed here, so, I decide to run instead. Her blue eyes follow my movements, but thankfully she doesn't catch up with me quickly enough to stop me from almost flying out of the apartment. Even if I can neither see nor hear her right now, I still make sure to descend the flight of stairs as fast as my feet can carry me...which ends up being much faster than it should be, but I'm not complaining. As soon as I reach the ground floor, I run out of the buildi-

I almost stumble when I stop to avoid getting a sword driven through my head from above. Before that little shit can pull her sword out of the ground, I turn to the left and start running again. With my current running speed, everything should turn into a freaking blur, but it doesn't and so I can see where I'm going. I just need to somehow get her off my ass, which ain't gonna be easy when she can climb into a window on the fourth floor and then jump out of it just to kill me. If I can run so fast despite having such short legs, then she will catch up easily if I run in a straight line.

Thankfully, it's late enough for the streets to be empty and despite running for quite some time, I still don't feel tired. I haven't seen that stupid girl after her last attack, but something tells me she's still chasing me. I consider trying to fight her, but I quickly dismiss that thought. Even if she wasn't a little girl, I'm still not that confident in my abilities and I've never dealt with swords before. This still hurts my pride like nothing else...or at least what's left of it at this point. I mean...Wait...Shit, I lost track of where I was going...Whatever, I'll jus-

I hear something land somewhere nearby and it doesn't take a genius to figure out who it is. Damn it, there's only one way to go now. This abandoned building might be a very obvious escape route for the redhead and I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be demolished the next week, but I've got no choice here. Unfortunately, there aren't enough openings for moonlight to slip inside and light the place up properly, making it pretty much impossible to explore the building properly, but that also means I can try to hide in a dark corner.

Once I'm inside, I hastily make my way towards the darkest spot I can find.

"It should be somewhere here..."

I freeze the moment I hear the girl's voice. She's slowly walking towards my hiding spot, but it looks like she doesn't actually see me. Thank God she doesn't have night vision or someth-

GODDAMNIT! How the hell did she set her sword on fire?! I think of another way to escape without taking my eyes off the girl, who is detaching something from her weird swo- Is that a freaking gu-

With a bang, searing pain spreads through my ankle, quickly depriving me of the ability to run. I do my best not to scream even when it hurts like a bitch, but the sight of that little shit's burning sword reminds me that there's more to come. Now I want to beat the crap out of her, her age and gender be damned. Too bad I can't do shit about her.

"Why...Why do you want to kill me?" - I ask. That seems to surprise the girl.

"W-Why? Um, it's...It's a magical girl's job to fight evil and defeat monsters...You are one, right?" - the redhead asks with surprisingly little confidence...Wait, magical girl?

I just barely manage to resist the urge to smash my face with the palm of my hand from the sheer absurdity of the situation. Never watched that cutesy shit, but I've heard plenty about it from Tatsuo and now some things make sense...Maybe I can use that pointless information and the girl's doubts to save my ass? I've noticed her hesitate whenever she tried to attack me, starting with her initial attempt. She could have easily killed me right there and then, but she didn't.

But how can I get myself out of this shit? I'm obviously not a human and I don't think she's gonna believe me if I tell her that I'm another magical girl when I didn't even fight back...What else was there...what else...Weren't there some stupid critters that helped those brats without being other humans or doing much in terms of combat?

"W-Wait, I'm not a monster! I'm a...uh...I'm a magical mascot...mentor...or something...I mean no harm!" - I lie in haste, hoping that I didn't get the term wrong or that the girl is stupid enough to believe me...and I think she did? At the very least she lowers her sword.

"...Aren't they supposed to look like cute animals? You...You don't look like one...or the mentor I had..." - she points out.

"Um, I'm a different type! I mean I'm still...c...cute, right?" - I say, almost emptying the contents of my stomach in the process. God, this is just...Eugh...Maybe I should let her kill me at this point.

"Hm...You're obviously different from monsters I fought so far...you still haven't tried actually attacking me...and you do look kinda cute...Wait, then that means...Oh, I'm so sorry! I-I'm still new to this and so I...Uh, I should get you patched up quickly!" - the redhead apologizes, almost dropping her gun in the process.

"No no no, just leave me h-"

"You're bleeding! I-I-I can't leave you here and this is my fault too...But don't worry, I'll help you!" - the girl interrupts me as she somehow makes both of her weapons disappear.

I could protest more, but my ankle is in a really shitty state. I'm surprised it hasn't been blown off completely. That stupid girl doesn't seem to like it very much either if her hesitation means anything. With little choice given to me, I resist the urge to curse and yell at her when she wraps one arm around my back and slides the other underneath my legs, choosing to simply move my tail out of the way instead. I'm pretty sure she's doing this the wrong way, but whatever, I'm so done with this shitshow at this point. Just get me the hell outta he-

I hold onto the girl to the best of my ability and curse loudly as she suddenly jumps very high into the air, landing onto another building's roof. I'd question the girl's sanity here, but I don't have the time to do so when she jumps again. All I can do is make sure not to lose my grip on her as she leaps from roof to roof. This explains how she managed to catch up with me without being seen.

Finally, after several minutes of reckless roof jumping, that stupid redhead stops in front of a small house, but when she approaches the front door, she freezes.

"Is something wrong?" - I ask the girl.

"Um...The door is locked and I don't have pockets in this outfit, but I won't be able to hold you if I transform back...Can you unlock it with magic or something?" - she asks.

"What? Of course not! Just put me down and do it! I'm not made of freaking glass, I can take it." - I reply. Maybe I shouldn't be so rude, but screw it, I'm not in a good mood right now.

With some hesitation, the girl puts me down onto the ground. Then, in a flash of red light, her attire changes completely into...uh...pajamas? I don't know how exactly this whole thing works, but...Whatever, questioning things has been pointless ever since the last night. Either way, she pulls out a key out of a pocket and unlocks the door before another flash occurs and she's back in that odd outfit. If this keeps happening, I'll go blind real quickly.

Once the redhead picks me up and walks inside, I get a good view of the interior. It seems to be a pretty average house with a lived-in atmosphere. Judging by the multiple pairs of shoes of different sizes, a family lives here. The girl puts a lot of effort into remaining unheard, so, she clearly didn't receive the permission to go outside to kill some random asshole in the middle of the night. I can see why she would want to keep this a secret.

When the girl walks upstairs, I finally notice something...or rather the lack of it. The pain is gone and when I look at the injured ankle, I realize that it's no longer injured. Did she do it? But then why would she bring me here? Is it another one of the weird things about this body?

I'm torn out of my musings when that idiot opens a door and walks into what I assume to be her room...Dear God, this is just...I swear I'm gonna get diabetes just from looking at this mess. The plushies, the cushions and all this pink shit make me sick. THIS is the room of the person who tried to kill me? Gimme a break...

Much to my displeasure, the still unnamed girl puts me down on a bed and, in yet another damn flash, swaps her stupid magical girl outfit for pajamas. When she looks at my previously injured ankle, she notices the lack of a wound and raises an eyebrow.

"Magic." - I whisper and apparently it's enough to convince her. I have no freaking clue, but maybe this is the right answer.

"Still, you should stay here for a bit...Ah, r-right, I haven't introduced myself. M-My name is Manami...Pleased to meet you?" - Manami introduces herself. As much as I want to tell her to piss off, I've gotta play nice.

"The pleasure is mine! And I am...I am...Zero." - I say. I can't give her my real name and if I'm going to pretend to be something else, I might as well have a cool name...and that's a cool name...I think...

"Ze...ro...I'm sorry for shooting you, Zero-san." - the redhead apologizes once again. At least she feels sorry.

"Tch, it's fine. Say, do you have a phone or something?" - I ask. Knowing his hobbies, I really doubt that dumbass is asleep right now.

"H-Huh? Y-Yeah, but why do you need it?" - the girl asks in response.

"I need to call someone higher up...It's very important magic...stuff. Oh, and you've gotta leave the room for a bit." - I reply. She tilts her head, but then nods and gives me a phone anyway before leaving...a phone which is about as disgustingly sweet as the rest of the room.

...Anyway, once I'm sure that she can't hear me, I input Tatsuo's number. I need him to help me not screw this up even more. I have to keep this charade going for a bit if I don't want to get my ass burned with magic fire. If she found me once, then, should I try running away, she can find me again and I doubt she's gonna listen to my lies in that scenario. But without that geek's help, I won't go anywhere.

I can't believe I actually need his vast knowledge of stupid crap like this...


	5. Briefing

" _Uh, hello? Who are you?_ "

"It's me, dumbass...I mean Hisato. Look, I need your help here. What is a magical girl mascot supposed to do?" - I ask, keeping my voice low to make sure that brat doesn't hear anything. Several seconds of complete silence follow my question.

" _...What did you get yourself into?_ " - he asks in response with a sigh.

"W-Well, you see, some magical girl decided to barge into my apartment and try to kill me. I had to convince this brat that I'm one of those things to save my ass." - I reply. I can hear that four-eyes groan even before I relate everything to him.

" _I swear you draw misfortune like nothing else...Alright, these guys are basically magical girls' mentors and the ones who recruit them in the first place. They are cute talking animals that are always happy to help the young girl in their task to save the world...well, unless it's one of those darker stories, in which case they might not have the girls' well-being in mind. Regardless of their true nature, they help their recruits understand their powers and the world that was hidden from them along with detecting the bad guys if that's needed. But most of the time, they are here just to be cute and world building._ " - the blue-haired man explains and I can easily hear him adjusting his glasses. That's...a lot to take in.

"And what about the magical girls themselves? What can I expect from those brats? I thought they were like a group of idiots with magical sticks, walking around and shouting at things until the day is saved, but this one had a freaking gun and a flaming sword!" - I ask, almost forgetting to keep my voice down.

" _Hm...Have you seen any other magical girls so far?_ " - he asks in response.

"No, only one." - I reply.

" _Well, she might be the oddball, but if not, then the threats they are dealing with are more serious than a bunch of quirky villains and an occasional eldritch abomination. This is...troubling, to say the least. We might be in real trouble if magical girls are even needed...but I haven't heard of anything unusual happening aside from your little problem. Do you know how long has this girl been in her current role?_ " - Tatsuo asks, his tone shifting to a more serious one. I don't like that.

"I don't know, but she doesn't seem to be very experienced. It took her a while to actually use her gun and shoot me." - I reply. If you have a gun, then you should probably use it before you even think of using a sword.

" _I see...W-Wait, are you sure it's safe for you to tell me all of this? They probably want to keep all of this a secret and without knowing how they do it, there's no knowing what will happen to me once they find out that I know about them!_ " - the geek asks, panic clear in his voice.

"Well, if I have to put up with this shit, then I'm taking you with me whether you like it or not." - I reply. A few seconds of heavy breathing later, I hear that idiot push his glasses up his nose and calm down instantly.

" _I suppose there's nothing that can be done about this...I'm not sure if this information will help you though. I-I mean I am basing this knowledge on what I've seen and read and that might not apply to what's really going on._ "- Tatsuo says.

"Y'know, you're taking with way too easily." - I point out. I still have some difficulty believing this shit and I probably would be in denial if Manami didn't try to kill me.

" _I'm talking to a man who got turned into a little girl with unusual properties. Anything goes at this point. How did you convince her though? Unless I'm missing something, you're not exactly a small cute animal. You look more like a magical girl. Why didn't you tell her that you were her comrade?_ " - he asks.

"She wouldn't be trying to kill me if she thought I was human and I don't think she would believe me if I told her that I was another magical girl. I'm still not sure why she was so easily convinced and honestly, I don't give a shit as long as she doesn't shove a sword up my ass." - I reply.

" _You should probably do something about that foul tongue of yours before you can try pulling this off...Just...Just don't get in more trouble, okay? And whoever you're dealing, make sure she doesn't get hurt in the process. Later._ " - Tatsuo says before ending the call, leaving me on my own again.

I drop the phone onto a pillow with a sigh. I can already tell how much of a pain in the ass this whole thing is gonna be. Never was good at dealing with children and just by looking at this damn room, I can tell that using mom's methods ain't gonna cut it. That might actually get me killed faster. And that's without getting into the real problem here.

How am I gonna be a mentor for a magical girl if I don't even know what the hell she's supposed to be doing? She knows how her powers work, so, there's no need to worry about that, but explaining anything she doesn't already know is going to be impossible without pulling things out of my ass...Eh, screw it, I'll just do it anyway. It's not like I've got a choice here. Let's see how far I can go with this.

"You can enter, Manami-chan." - I tell the girl just loudly enough for her to hear from behind the door without alerting anyone else.

Manami walks in, with her shoulder-length hair seemingly in a worse state than it was a few minutes ago. She looks tired as hell too...and now that I'm no longer in danger, I feel like I need a break too despite sleeping for almost the whole day. I'm pretty damn sure I'm not a cat to sleep all day through. Then again, I did run for several minutes without a break in the body of a little girl...A really fast little girl, but still.

"I've been wondering...What were you doing in that apartment anyway?" - the redhead asks after yawning.

"Uh...There was something weird going on there and so I had to take a look. Maybe it was a monster...?" - I reply with a yawn. I mean I'm not really lying here and there was an actual monster there yesterday.

"We have a lot to talk about...but I wanna sleep...and so do you...Oh, um, can you turn into something smaller? T-There's not much room for you otherwise." - Manami asks...Well...Shit.

"Can I simply leave?" - I ask in response. The look on her face doesn't give me much hope here.

"No, that's dangerous! Something might happen to you and I won't be able to help you in time...and I shot you earlier...Please, stay here until we're sure that you're okay." - the girl pleads me...Goddamnit, this is exactly why I hate dealing with children...among many other things.

She isn't wrong though. There might be another magical girl running around and she probably will kill me. I would be dead right now if my reflexes weren't good enough to predict Manami's initial strikes and she was hesitating anyway. If she found me, then others can find me too and that's without taking into account the monsters those little shits are supposed to hunt. I assume that vegetable was one of them and that encounter alone got me in deep shit.

"Fine, geez, I'll stay. Then I'll just sleep on the floo-"

"No, you can't sleep on the floor. If you're a...uh...temporary guest, then the least I can do is make sure you're comfortable here and sleeping on the floor doesn't sound good...Hm...you're not too big...Maybe you can sleep on my bed? There's enough room here." - Manami interrupts me with a rather generous offer...but it's not one I'll even think of accepting.

"Look, it's fine, I'm used t- Stop looking at me like that! I-I'm not...You ain't gonna back down, are ya?" - I ask and receive a shake of her head in response.

I appreciate the thought, but her idea is wrong on several levels and she's not even aware of it! I mean she's just trying to be nice and there's no way in hell she would even think that I'm actually some asshole stuck in this body, but it's just...Gah! What did I do to deserve this crap?

I inch away from the girl when she climbs onto her bed, giving her plenty of free space and creating more than enough distance between us. My scowl loosens a little when Manami drapes that soft blanket over us, but only for a moment. Then I'm reminded of what the hell I'm doing and it gets pretty damn awkward...at least for me. She doesn't have a freaking clue and I certainly don't want her to know anything. Maybe this wouldn't be too bad if I had a little sister, but I never had any and so this whole situation rubs me the wrong way.

...Thinking about it, this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of this girl and I'm sure that more desperate people wouldn't miss this chance...but I'm not that kind of guy and I'm too damn tired to deal with that shit anyway. It's not like she will murder me while I'm sleeping.

...

...

...yeah, no, she's not gonna do that...


	6. Flower Field

_Flowers._

_Flowers as far as the eye can see. No matter where I look, all I see is a field of weird white flowers swaying as if blown by the wind despite its absence. I can't even see the ground with all this stuff in the way. Of course, what bothers me more is the scorching sun above. If I don't find some sort of cover, things will get ugly quickly. It's like someone stuffed me into an oven except there isn't even any lid to open and crawl out of._

_I don't know how long I keep running before I finally see a lone tree in the distance, but it's still too far for me to feel safe. As if I didn't have enough shit to deal with, the flowers grow higher and sturdier the closer I get to the tree, making it even harder to run...No, they are actually trying to slow me down. I can feel something trying to wrap around my legs, forcing me to waste time and effort on tearing myself out of their grasp. How the hell are they not burning up under the sunlight?! My skin is already covered in severe burns._

_As I get closer, I notice how unnaturally dark the tree's shadow is, but that only means the sunlight certainly won't reach me there. I just have to get past all the damn flowers. If only I had something to just burn them all down, but then I'd get caught in the fire too. Dammit, where the hell am I anyway? How did I end up here in the first place?_

_At long last, I reach the tree and almost immediately collapse. It's hard to resist the urge to throw up from the smell of burning flesh and it hurts like a bitch, but it doesn't matter anymore. I'm safe here. I can't even bring myself to give a damn about the flowers coiling around my limbs...and growing eyes?_

_When I look around, I see the whole field sprouting red eyes, all of which turn their gaze upon me. I don't know when it had the time to do that, but the sun has already set, letting the moon take its place. As if that wasn't enough, I hear something crack and when I turn my head, I see numerous fissures lining the tree, all of which widen to reveal more eyes. Nope, I ain't having none of that shit!_

_I try to tear myself from the flowers' grasp and while I do manage to free my arms, my legs remain bound. That is quickly fixed when I punch the newly opened eyes, granting my tired body freedom. Now that the scorching sunlight is gone, I can freely move out of the shade an-_

_I clench my teeth as something stabs my feet before a bunch of flowers extend upward and start wrapping around my legs again. I try to stop them before this goes anywhere, but then these bastards start applying more pressure to my shins until I can hear my bones give in and break. Even when I feel something digging into my skin and moving through my veins, I try to ignore it and double my efforts instead._

_But when flowers burst through my skin, I scream so loudly it hurts my ears. In a matter of seconds, my whole body is wrapped in these stupid plants, which almost immediately begin squeezing the life out of me. It hurts so much, but I no longer have any strength to do anything about it._

_I think I hear a very deep voice trying to whisper something, but I can't make out anything intelligible unti-_

I open my eyes when I hear someone knock on the door. I don't remember anyo-

I immediately retreat under the blanket and press myself closer to Manami's body, which ends up waking her up as well. It's wrong on several levels, but I can't let her parents see me. Having this girl find me is more than enough and I really don't wanna see what's gonna happen if they see me. It would be really great if they simply threw me out, giving that brat a pretty damn good reason not to keep me here, but something tells me it won't end so well.

"Manami, dear, it's time for you to wake up." - a woman says as the door opens. I guess this is her mother.

"Gimme five more minutes..." - the redhead drawls, still sleepy from the sudden awakening.

"...Did you bring a dog home again?" - her mother asks. A dog? I'm gonna assume she thinks that's what's hidden from her sight and not...whatever the hell I am.

"H-Huh? I didn't..." - the girl's voice trails off before she takes a look at what's under the blanket. When her confused expression changes to one of panic, all I can do is give her a strained smile.

"I've told you that we can't keep pets...and this one seems a little too big." - the woman continues. Unfortunately, I can't see her, but I don't like that pause or the way she says it.

"I-I-It's not a dog, it's a...uh..." - Manami tries to explain, but apparently nothing comes to her mind. At this rate, my presence here will be revealed. Alright, here goes nothing...

"H-Hello, Miss..." - I greet the woman as I poke my head out of the blanket. Damn it, I wasn't supposed to sound so...meek!

Now that I'm no longer hiding, I can get a better look at Manami's mother...and dear God, she looks pretty damn good for her age...however old she is. Aside from having longer and darker hair, she looks like an adult version of that brat. She's certainly surprised to see me and so is her daughter. I guess she didn't expect me to just pop out like this.

"H...Hi there...Um, who is this girl?" - the older redhead asks her child.

"It's...Zero-san. She's my...Ah, she's my friend!" - the girl replies.

"Your friend...but what is Zero-chan doing here?" - the mother asks. That's a pretty damn good question. I don't think even close friends would spend the night like this, especially if they are children...well, a child and a man that happens to look like a child because of some bullshit he's not happy with.

"Problems at home...I had nowhere to go...Let's just leave it at that." - I reply instead. Technically, I'm not lying. This idiot right here did climb into my apartment to kill me and if that doesn't count, then nothing does.

"...I see...but when and how did you even get here? I don't recall seeing her enter our house." - she asks...Shit, now things are getting little more complicated.

"I climbed through the window in the middle of the night." - I reply...and then I remember that this is the second floor...I'm a freakin' dumbass...

"...through the window...in the middle of the night...A-Anyway, you both should get going. There's not much time left until the classes begin." - the woman says before leaving, apparently not ready to deal with this crap so early in the morning. Neither am I.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be good at hiding, if not outright invisible to others?" - Manami asks as she almost jumps off her bed, certainly not thrilled by that massive mess of a cover story.

"Well, excuuuuuse me, but I can't do that!...Whatever, what are we gonna do? I can't stay here. I should just leav-"

"No no no, you can't! She has already seen you and...I...I need your help." - the girl interrupts me. So that's why she's trying to keep me here. She just wants something from me. Figures.

"Just spill it out." - I tell her with a sigh. I immediately turn my head away when I see her open her closet, most likely to change out of her pajamas. There are some things I'd rather not see. Not like this.

"W-Well...how should I put it...I kinda...sort of...lost my original mentor? When he...she...When they gave me this power, I was too busy fighting the monsters trying to kill me. I haven't found them after everything was over. I hope they are safe, but...I think they were eaten? That's why I want you to become my mentor. It doesn't look like you're already assisting someone else." - the redhead explains. This does little to convince me that I can trust this idiot. It's not like I can really say "no" though.

"And why do you want me to help you? Didn't they tell you everything you need to know? You've told me that you fought monsters before. What else do you even need?" - I ask.

"I know only the basics..." - she mumbles in response.

"Which is...what, exactly? I've gotta know where to start, y'know?" - I ask as I crawl out from under the blanket and do my best to untangle the white mess that is my hair. It's actually surprisingly manageable despite its length.

"Let me think...The monsters I'm fighting are called the...I dunno, it was something weird. Anyway, these things are evil and I have to get rid of them. In order to do so, I need to find the strongest one of the group and destroy it, but if I don't destroy its core in time, it will regenerate in a few minutes and spawn more lesser monsters...and that's about it. There was no time to explain everything and so I had to figure some things out on my own like how my powers work...but I haven't really gone anywhere with it." - Manami explains. Man, whoever gave her this information must have disappear really quickly. That doesn't sound like it's enough to work with at all...which also means the whole thing just got much harder for me.

"...Fine, I'll help you out." - I say with a sigh. That quickly improves her mood.

"Thank you! Well then, what to do with you right now...Hm...Can you change your outfit with magic or something? I-I mean if you can do that with others, then you should be able to give yourself something more...normal? Then again, you'd probably do everything yourself if you could just give yourself the powers of a magical girl so easily...I can lend you my spare uniform until we arrive at the school and Mom leaves, then you'll hide somewhere I guess." - the girl suggests. I can't help but rub rub the bridge of my nose when I hear this stupid idea. It's not like she can see that when I'm not facing her.

"Aren't you forgetting somethin'?" - I ask as I raise and wag my tail to make my point clear. Moving it feels really weird...and yet...natural...Anyway, I'd rather not wear any girly clothes if I can avoid it...or even if I can't. What I have right now is more than enough and I don't think the straitjacket even counts. The only other article of clothing I'm wearing certainly does though.

"Your hair is very long...Maybe you can try hiding it that way?...No, it's not long enough...Um...Th-This might be a little uncomfortable, but I've got an idea..." - she says...and something tells me I'm not gonna like this idea. Well, can't say I expected anything better than this...

Still, that dream bothers me...It sure as hell wasn't anything I've ever experienced in my life, but it felt too damn real for me to just dismiss it as meaningless.


	7. Discomfort

I swear I'm gonna end up strangling this brat at this rate.

Wearing a little girl's school uniform? Humiliating, especially when its a little too big for me due to the size difference between us. Having my tail bound to your back with tape? Uncomfortable as all hell. I don't know if there are any bones there, but I'm pretty damn sure it's not supposed to bend like this. If my hair wasn't so long, this wouldn't work at all. Thankfully, there's enough of it to cover almost everything that manages to stick out. Still, I'm sure that my tail is visible from certain angles. The part of it that's pressed against the back of my neck is pretty much completely exposed. I'm surprised that the thorns lining this appendage haven't damaged anything so far, including my own skin.

The whole idea just sounds stupid to me, but I can't come up with anything better that won't get me killed. Just to be sure that I won't do anything I'll regret later, I clench my fists and try not to think of harming the girl...Wait...

I raise one of my arms to take a look at my hands and almost curse at the sight of long sharp fingernails. Dear God, you can put out someone's eye with these...or worse.

"Are you okay?" - Manami asks, dragging me out of my thoughts.

"Y-Yeah, just thinking about...things." - I assure the redhead. When I look back at my hands, I'm relieved to see completely normal fingernails. I really don't know what to expect from this body at this point and I hope things won't get too weird before Tatsuo is done...Then again, it might be kinda late now. After all, I did get dragged into this whole magical girl business.

With all the preparations down, we descend the flight of stairs and I quickly catch the smell of breakfast. Doing my best not to tear my tail out of its restraints despite the increasing urge to do it, I follow the girl into the room this smell is coming from. I hesitate to go any further when I see two adults at the table, more out of uncertainty than anything.

I've already seen Manami's mother, but her father is a whole different thing. With his stubble, sharp features and a glare that looks intimidating even when it's aimed at a freaking toast, he actually looks pretty damn scary for someone who's supposed to be that girl's father. Of course, this isn't anything remarkable in comparison to my mom. Now THAT is what I call pant-shittingly scary.

"There you are! Take a seat, sweetie. You may join us if you want to, Zero-chan." - the woman says with a sweet smile on her face.

"So that's your friend?" - the man asks his daughter, receiving a slow nod in response. Despite retaining that piercing glare as he's addressing Manami, I can tell that there's no anger or any negativity in his low voice.

"H-Hi..." - I mutter, drawing the man's attention. His gaze is about as uncomfortable as it was earlier, but having dealt with my mom, I can withstand it.

"Please don't mind Hayato. He may look like this on the outside, but underneath that worn out shell of his is a soft heart." - the mother says, drawing a sigh out of her husband.

"Akiko, can you not...Just...Just dig in, kid." - Hayato tells me as he tries his best to hide his face in his palm.

I turn to look at Manami to make sure that it's really okay and receive a nod and a smile from the girl. I really hate how high the table is and how big these two are in comparison to me, but whatever irritation I feel is quickly shoved aside with the promise of food. Sure, I wasn't starving or anything, but not having to cook it or spend any money on it is great and I do feel hungry, so, I might as well join them. It looks pretty damn enticing too, even if it's nothing special. Man, how long has it been since the last time I ate grilled fish?

But manners come first.

* * *

It's really nice of them to drive me to the school even if I'm not gonna actually do anything there since it is a junior high school. It makes me wish I had a car though...well, after I'm done with this whole thing. I can't imagine myself driving in this state. I'm not even sure if I'm physically capable of that. Damn it, couldn't I at least look older? Being a girl is shitty enough as it is, but being this small pisses me off on top of making me uncomfortable.

Speaking of being uncomfortable, I'm already on the verge of throwing in the towel and getting rid of these bandages, but that won't end well and so I have to wait for a few more minutes. Thankfully, Manami answers whatever questions arise for me like why I don't have a schoolbag or how her parents have never heard of me while I just nod from time to time. So far, she hasn't said anything stupid, but it's still obvious that they don't trust me completely. I really should have come up with a better explanation for my presence in their house, but what's done is done. If I could simply undo mistakes like these, I wouldn't be in this mess in the first place.

At least this time being under the sun isn't as overwhelming as it was yesterday. It would really suck if I was limited to staying indoors during the day because of stupid shit like that.

Finally, the car stops and I hastily get out of it with an equally rushed "Thank you", almost tripping over my own feet before I start walking toward the school at a faster pace than needed. I just want to get away from this madness as soon as I can and never look bad, but at this point I know better than to think it's gonna happen.

Before I can really get anywhere, the redhead catches up with me and grabs my hand.

"Where are you going?" - she asks.

"Somewhere where I can take the bandages off. You've overdone it, by the way." - I reply, trying not to sound too annoyed. I still have a hard time believing that having my tail bound like this is what's bothering me, mostly because of having a tail in the first place.

"S-Sorry, I was trying to make sure it doesn't slip out or anything...I don't think there's any place like that here though." - the girl says. I'm tempted to just say screw it and get rid of the bandages right here, but then I'll draw unnecessary attention and I doubt children around us are gonna take it well.

"Not even the roof?" - I ask, hoping for a positive answer.

"Hm...Nobody would see you there...but I don't think they let anyone go there." - she replies. Well, there goes that.

"Then what am I supposed to do? This is about as comfortable as having your arm bound behind your back for hours." - I ask, now even closer to giving up. I shouldn't have to put up with this shit in the first place.

"Maybe try doing it in the bathroom?...No, someone might enter and see you and then you won't be able to leave...Um...Y-You might have to wait until everything's over." - Manami says with a guilty look on her face. There's no way in hell I'm gonna wait for almost six hours. How am I even going to spend that time? By aimlessly wandering around the school grounds?

"Can I lea-"

"No no no, you can't! I don't know what will happen if the monsters decide to appear and you're not here to help me..." - the girl interrupts me. That does sound concerning, but how am I supposed to help her with that? I couldn't even fend off one monster and it was dying...then again, I was human back then and that's clearly not the case now. Either way, I don't have much of a choice here. I'm not about to get my head blown off because I couldn't simply wait.

"Alright, alright, I'll stay. I think you should get going. Classes should begin soon. Can't fight evil if you can't even study...and all that..." - I tell the redhead with a half-hearted smile. Her eyes widen as if she was struck by lightning.

"I'll be late! See you later!" - Manami almost shouts before running towards the entrance, leaving me all alone.

I guess I can take a look around the school and see what it has to offer...Preferably without getting caught. Now that would result in a mess I'd rather not deal with. I can try to get onto the roof and then spend the next few hours sunbathing, but that's easier said than done. The risk of getting caught while I'm sleeping is pretty damn high.

But first, I need to call Tatsuo and ask him if he's gone anywhere with his solution to my problem. If I go back to normal, I won't have to endure any of this shit.

...Wait...I don't have a phone...Of course.


	8. Peace and Quiet

Wandering around the empty school halls is pretty damn boring. Who woulda thought.

So far, I have yet to run into anybody who could get me in trouble, but even after over two hours of exploring the building, I haven't found any place with unrestricted access where I could hide for a while. I thought about going to a bathroom and undoing the bandages there, but then I wouldn't be able to put them all back on without assistance and I really didn't feel like spending hours there.

And so I decided to sneak onto the roof. In my school, we're not allowed to go there, but that doesn't stop some assholes from breaking the lock and hanging out there...myself included. Nobody really punishes us for that either and it's not like there's any problem with it since nobody is gonna do anything stupid with that fence in the way. Still, that sounds like a problem and I'm surprised the school isn't in deep shit for letting this sort of shit slide.

Thankfully, when I kick open the door and walk out, the roof turns out to be well kept and there's nobody here to kick me out. With that in mind, I close the door behind me and make my way towards what looks like the best spot in the shade so that I'm not gonna end up falling asleep again. But before I can rest, I need to get rid of the bindings. Trying to use my tail alone might tear apart these clothes and I don't wanna do that while using my hands doesn't get me very far. The only other option is to take my clothes off and then undo the bandages normally, but I sure as hell ain't gonna do that.

...Maybe I can grow my fingernails again? I'm pretty damn sure I wasn't just seeing things back there and they looked sharp enough to help me here. The question is how am I supposed to do it? It sort of...happened...I do remember wanting to strangle Manami...but it can't be something that freaking specific. It has to be something related...What if...

And just as I thought, when I think of tearing the bandages apart hard enough, my nails start rapidly growing. There's probably a better way to make this shit happen, but I don't really care right now.

With these claws, I make quick work of these damn bindings and...Dear God, it feels so great! Like taking off a pair of shoes several sizes too small after walking on foot for hours or...Damn, I can't even think of a good comparison. I kinda lose track of time as I just sit there with my tail resting on my lap and a goofy smile on my face. I can't even imagine what I would be doing if I wasn't wearing a skirt. I'd take pants over a skirt any day, but in my current condition, I can't wear anything like that. I'll just keep the straitjacket until I'm back to norm-

Shit, someone's coming. I desperately look for any sort of cover and find none. I have no idea who's gonna show up, but they will certainly not react well to my presence here, especially when I look like this. Just to soften the blow, I quickly move my tail out of sight and almost immediately the door opens to reveal...a girl with silver hair. It's something I'd rather not deal with, but it's better than an adult. I can handle some snotty brat just fine.

"Huh? Someone's already here? Hi there!" - the girl greets me as she walks closer with a smile on her face. Man, her hair is a real mess. It looks like it used to be all neat and tidy, but somehow became disheveled over time. I can't even imagine what it looks like early in the morning.

"The hell are you doing here? Are you skipping classes or something?" - I ask her, but despite my less than polite attitude, the question fails to stop her or sour her mood. I feel something...weird in my chest, but I'm a little too busy to think about it right now.

"I can ask the same question. What are YOU doing here? Nobody is allowed up here and you're obviously too young to be attending this school. I should report you, y'know..." - the girl says in response, scratching the back of her head. Somehow, that doesn't mess up her hair any more than it already is.

"Normally, I don't hit girls, but I'm willing to make an exception this time." - I threaten the little bastard in front of me...Well, she's noticeably taller than me right now..and probably Manami too, but whatever. She's within my reach and I can quickly knock her out if she tries anyth-

"Relax, kid, I'm not gonna tell anyone about this. If you wanna sit here and enjoy the view, then I'll join ya." - the girl says, quickly halting whatever train of thoughts I had by ruffling my hair. Her smile doesn't falter even as I swat her hand away.

"Don't do that! And don't call me a child!" - I yell at her, which only manages to draw a chuckle from the damn girl. She's pissing me off more and more with every damn second.

"Then gimme something better to call you. I'm Tomoko. What's your name? C'mon, don't be shy." - Tomoko asks. I really want to just tell her to piss off, but at this point, I know that it ain't gonna work.

"...Zero. Now go pester someone else." - I reply. It's odd using a fake name like this, but I'm not about to tell anyone my real name in this state aside from Tatsuo.

"I'm just worried, that's all. What am I supposed to think when a little girl like you breaks into a restricted area with no one to keep her company? How did you do that anyway? That lock is pretty sturdy and now it's all mangled." - she asks...Huh?

"I thought it was rusty or something...I just kicked the door and it opened. I always do that." - I reply. That's...odd. I was surprised when the door gave in with one kick, but I didn't know it was locked properly.

"Note to self: never get on your bad side." - the girl says as she yawns before lying down next to me with her arms resting under her head.

Once I'm sure that she's not gonna say anything else and I can just let her be, my mind wanders back to Manami. The thought of that idiot fighting God knows what bothers me, but what bothers me more is that there's someone or something wandering around and recruiting girls like her to do this job. Wouldn't it be better to have adults deal with that shit or at least someone with proper training? Sure, a flaming sword with a detachable gun sounds cool, but it's also wielded by a child who probably watched too many magical girls shows. Just thinking about it pisses me off.

Having to train that girl isn't any better. Where do I even begin? I know next to nothing about swordsmanship, I've never held a gun before and I certainly don't know anything about magic. Hell, I don't even know what this body is capable of. I can run really fast, I'm obviously much stronger than I should be, I can make my fingernails grow into sharp claws and I can quickly heal gunshot wounds with no marks of any sort left afterwards. Then there are the much less convenient traits of this body like very durable hair and an odd reaction to sunlight...and its appearance. That's still the worst part.

"Hey, what's this?" - Tom-

I almost jump when I feel someone grab my tail and unfortunately, I fail to yank it out of their...no, her grasp. I don't know how much time passes as we simply stare at each other in complete silence. Tomoko is still smiling, but it's more strained now and she looks lost. Well...shit.

"I can explai-"

I clutch my head in pain when an obnoxiously loud ringing sound pierces my ears followed by an odd rhythmic sound...Heartbeat? It's too slow, but that's the closest thing I can think of. It drowns out everything else and it almost forces itself into my mind. The more I listen to it, the harder it gets to think, but I do notice how my own heart slows down to match its pace.

But before it becomes too much for me to take, the girl next to me snaps me out of this trance by violently shaking me.

"Zero-chan, now's not the time to space out." - she says, still smiling despite looking quite scared.

And now that I can pay attention to my surroundings, I understand why she's feeling like that. I don't know what's happening, but I can clearly hear people screaming in terror amidst all the ruckus happening below. And then, just as I was about to leave and see what's going on, something barges through the door. A large clockwork spider is the best way to describe the newcomer. The way it fidgets and writhes in place as it looks at us is unsettling, but it's not enough to make its ugly mug any less punchable.

As soon as I take a step, Tomoko pushes me behind her back.

"The hell are you doing?!" - I cry out, making sure to keep my eyes on the spider.

"It's too dangerous. Stay back." - the girl tells me in a surprisingly calm tone of voice, but it does little to mask her fear.

"Are you out of your damn mind?! Stupid girl!" - I shout as I roughly push that silver-haired idiot out of my way.

The monster, whatever it is, quickly lunges at me only to be met with an overhead punch to its stupid head followed by a kick to what I think is its chin, making it stagger back with noticeable dents in its skull. Before I even realize what I'm doing, I dash forward and slash the spider's head with my clawed hand. I expect my claws to break upon contact with whatever metal the damn thing is made of, but then its head starts falling apart and the rest of its body collapses under its own weight, turning into ash shortly afterwards.

I turn back to look at Tomoko and fortunately, she doesn't freak out like I expect her to.

"Alright, explanations can wait. It's too dangerous to say here, so, you're coming with me." - I tell the girl and she nods after a short pause. She'll be a burden, but I can't leave her here. That piece of junk obviously wasn't the only one of its kind.

Is this what Manami is supposed to be dealing with?


	9. Clock Tower?

"P-Please slow down!"

"Shut it if you don't want me to throw you at the first damn spider I see!"

Dear God, I'm so tempted to actually abandon this little shit, but I know that I'm gonna regret it. I just have to find Manami and have her deal with it.

To be fair, I am noticeably faster than a human, something that I've learned back when I was running for my life while a certain magical girl was chasing me down. With that in mind, I slow down enough for the girl to keep up with me before releasing her hand and barreling into another one of those spiders which happened to crawl into my line of sight. I can't help but grin when I see all that metal it's made of deform and fall apart from the sheer force of the impact.

As much as I hate the appearance of my current body, I certainly love how strong and mobile it is. I don't know if it's anything comparable to what Manami is capable of, but it's more than enough to deal with these ugly bastards. I'm still not sure why some guns and a few explosives aren't a better alternative to having little girls deal with this shit. Hell, maybe they are just this flimsy and I could have dealt with them before this whole thing happened...then again, nobody would be panicking in that case.

Speaking of which, all the screaming is getting annoying at this point. Thank God Tomoko is good at keeping her shit together. Her perfectly justified bitching aside, my only problem with escorting her is that I have to keep an eye on her to make sure she stays in one piece...Now that I think about it, maybe she should be a little more concerned about her school getting attacked by mechanical monsters.

"Man, you're really something. You're tearing through these guys like through paper." - the silver-haired girl says, breathing heavily from running for so long.

"Tell me about it. Now where should we g-"

I just barely manage to keep my balance when the whole building starts shaking. Whatever the hell is happening, it's gotta be bad. I can still hear that damn heartbeat and I think it's getting louder. Not loud enough to drown out everything else, but enough to piss me off. I bet the source of that sound is somehow connected to these pests. I wonder if Manami knows anything?

For the next five minutes, nothing happens as we try to reach the ground floor. We encounter no monsters or even humans for that matter and to top it all off, the interior slowly changes as we get closer to our destination. At first, it looks like metal plates are taking over the school, but then the changes become more noticeable until the place looks more like something between a factory and a clocktower littered with all sorts of metal junk. There's no way in hell a building could have been reconstructed so quickly without the whole thing collapsing and so I assume it's magic or something along those lines. I mean can I really doubt that kind of stuff when I'm...this?

"Y'know, this is actually pretty cool. I wouldn't mind studying here if it weren't for all these spiders and rust." - Tomoko says.

"You're a weird one." - I say in response, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"Says the little girl with a tail growing out of her butt. You're really not one to talk here." - she points out.

"If you can afford to snark, then you can run faster too!" - I shout as I quickly go back to my original running speed, making the brat holding my hand squeak out of surprise.

I don't stop, but my attention is drawn elsewhere when I hear what sounds like gunshots. That means she's close and I won't have to deal with this kid for much longer...Wait...I...I think can feel her presence too...hers and Tomoko's...I wonder what's up with tha-

I jump back right before some metal piece of shit can crush me. It has the same clockwork aesthetic as the spiders, but it looks more like a faceless doll with what's probably supposed to be a pair of bird wings...Damn, it's tall. Taller than both of us combined. Not that it really matters. If it's in my way, then it's gonna get a beatdown.

"Alright, kid, stay back and don't get in the way." - I instruct the girl, who complies without a word.

Unlike the spiders, the doll is completely still and doesn't immediately attack me. It's clearly waiting for me to make the first move and I've got nothing against that. It's going down either way. I crack my knuckles...or at least try to, but it just...doesn't work...The way that thing just stares at me makes it even more awkward...Well...

...I ignore the heat creeping up my face and lunge at the metal bastard to deliver a jumping roundhouse kick, but before my foot can connect with that thing's head, it grabs me by my ankle and throws me a wall. Fortunately, I recover in time to jump off the wall and try to slug my opponent. Unfortunately, it catches my fist with its hand and tries to respond in kind. I manage to catch its fist as well, but it puts me in a really bad position. I can't kick it without losing my footing and it seems to be physically stronger. At this rate, it's going to overpower me and that won't end we-

My eyes widen when Tomoko smacks the damn doll's metal ass with a rusty gear, making it flinch. That's all I need to shove it onto the ground and once I no longer need to hold one of its fists, I release it and punch right through its faceless head. With the enemy down, I stand up and turn to glare at that idiot.

"What the hell did I just tell you?!" - I yell at the girl.

"Did ya really expect me to do nothing? I just couldn't let a little girl like you get in trouble, y'know?" - she says with that dumb smile of hers.

But before I can continue yelling at that idiot, what sounds like an obnoxious alarm clock starts losing its freaking mind. Right, that thing hasn't actually turned into dust like the rest of them. I really should have paid more attention.

"That doesn't sound good. We should get outta here." - Tomoko suggests.

"You think?! Geez, I wonder what gave you that ide- SHUT UP!"

Fed up with that stupid noise, I grab the doll by its legs and start smashing it against the ground until it dissipates into nothing, bringing back the much more tolerable silence...which lasts for about two seconds before dozens of those damn dolls fall from the ceiling. I don't even bother trying to count them.

Well, we're screwed. There's no way in hell I'm gonna take them all on even if I completely ignore that idiot.

"Can't say that it was nice knowing ya, but you weren't too bad. I guess it's time for us to die." - the girl next to me says with an awfully light-hearted tone for this kind of situation.

A sudden increase in temperature draws my attention away before pillars of fire consume the dolls closer to us. A moment later, a familiar magical girl lands next to us and I can't help, but feel relieved at the sight of her stupid outfit.

"Sorry for taking so long. I had civilians to take care of. Are you two okay?" - Manami asks. She sounds all brave and confident, but I can tell that she's just trying to make Tomoko feel safe.

"Eh, coulda been better, but there's nothing to worry about. Do you think you can handle this?" - I ask.

"O-Of course! Leave it to me!" - she replies, giving me a thumbs up without turning to keep track of the enemies ahead.

A pair of metal dolls lunges at the redhead only to be cleaved in two with her large sword. Three more try to attack her, but their thin arms fail to reach her head before they are engulfed in flames. I'm surprised her clothes don't catch fire...or our clothes for that matter. I'll just chalk it up to magic bullshit. As long as its hot enough to hurt those things without getting us killed, I don't care.

Just as I was about to relax and let the magical girl take care of everything, one of these dolls tries to attack us from behind. Once again, I'm locked in place as I grab both of that thing's fists and I don't think Tomoko can help me this time...Wait...

I quickly wrap my tail around the doll's ankle and immediately pull it, making it lose balance and allowing me to throw that bastard over my head. Maybe I shouldn't forget about m-

I double over with pain when a metal fist lodges itself in my stomach. I look up to see another doll standing right in front of me, ready for another gut punch. I brace for the impact and then it feels like my stomach has been split open...but I don't feel any pain. It looks like the doll is trying to pull its arm out of...Wait...

When I look down, I see that thing's arm sticking out of my stomach...and it's actually getting drawn into me. I feel movement inside...no, it's not just the doll's arm. When I take a better look at it and I see a freaking mouth full of teeth, I immediately break the doll's arm with a punch to its forearm before kicking through its thin waist. Thankfully, the severed limb sticking out of my gut turns into ash and that mouth closes, disappearing without a trace before I can really start freaking out. I probably shouldn't tell Manami about it or maybe even forget it ever happened.

Speaking of which...

"You really need to pay more attention to your surrounding, you dumbass!" - I yell at the redhead right before she blows a hole through another doll with her gun.

"A-Ah, I'm sorry! I-I got caught up i-"

"Shut up and finish them off already!"

And with another wave of fire, the last of the dolls vanishes, finally letting us take a break. With a sigh, I plop down onto the floor. Man, that was...something. There weren't that many enemies and they really weren't anything special all things considered, but I can see the difference in our abilities. Her lack of experience is still clear and she has like no situational awareness at all, but at least there's something to work with.

"Good job, squirt. I've gotta admit, you ain't half bad." - I compliment Manami, earning a smile from her.

"Not half bad? That was AMAZING! You're like straight out of those shows! I could even say you were...on fire!" - Tom...

...

...

"Okay, we're leaving her here. Let's go."

"Bu-"

"No."


	10. Helpless Colossus: Praegravus

With another slash, the last of the dolls falls apart and vanishes.

"Man, I'm starting to get real sick of these things. Any idea how close the root of our problems is?" - I ask. Things have been going rather smoothly once I stopped trying to punch the dolls as cutting them into pieces works much better, but I still have my limits.

"I'd say a few hundred meters. Can't you feel it?" - Manami asks in response. Shit, am I supposed to?

"Uh, I...I think I can?" - I reply. I can certainly feel the magical girl's presence and there's...something else, but I'm not sure what it is.

"What are you guys talking about? The monster of the week?" - Tomoko asks.

"I guess you can call it th-"

"Wait, weren't you supposed to dump her with the rest of the civilians?" - I ask the redhead who immediately looks away.

"...I forgot about that...but maybe it's not a bad thing? There might be times when I have to look after people until I can find a suitable hiding place for them." - she replies. Makes sense, but I really don't want to spend time with that idiot.

The sound of something approaching quickly puts an end to this conversation. I sigh as I crack my knuckles...until I see just how many spiders are crawling towards us. There's no way in hell I can deal with so many enemies. Even Manami doesn't look very confident as she raises her sword, which is quickly engulfed in flames.

"Stay behind me." - the redhead says and we both comply without a word.

The fire grows wilder and hotter until it's a raging inferno threatening to engulf the whole room. I can already see various gears melting as the flames lick them and yet we haven't turned into charred corpses from simply being near the sword. Somehow, that's not enough to deter the spiders. They just keep crawling, blindly advancing towards us with their jaws snapping at thin air like some cheap movie monsters. The magical girl in front of me waits until the horde is at a very uncomfortably short distance away from us before pointing her weapon at the enemies and taking a step back, then she finally thrusts her sword forward, unleashing a fiery beam that wipes them all out. Fortunately, that doesn't completely demolish the whole building like it really should.

"That was cool and all, but...it looked like something that would drain your energy like nothing else. Are you sure you can use it on random mooks? And shouldn't it have some cool name too?" - the silver-haired girl asks. That's a pretty damn good question...The one about energy, not...Whatever.

"Um, it actually is. I'm very low on energy now, but I should have enough for one more." - Manami replies. It's great that she has one more shot, but...

"Were those pillars of fire draining too?" - I ask.

"Oh? Yeah, they take a lot out of m-"

"Then why the hell do you keep using that shit?! What do you plan on doing if you run out of energy?" - I yell at the girl as I smack the back of her head. I don't actually know what would happen in that scenario or what this energy is, but it doesn't sound good either way.

"I didn't think of that..." - the redhead says, rubbing the back of her head.

"You really shouldn't be so angry, Zero-chan. It's not healthy." - Tomoko says with that stupid relaxed voice of hers.

"Shut up...Wait...Do you guys hear anything?" - I ask.

"Hm...No?" - Manami replies.

"...Oh, I get it. Something must have happened to the others." - the silver-haired girl says.

I almost fall over when something roars loudly. It sounds too much like a screaming human, but it's too loud and there's just...something off about it. The sound of a heart beating seems to grow louder too and it's actually getting kinda distracting.

"Wait here and don't get in the way." - I tell the taller one of the girls before the rest of us proceeds. Fortunately, she obeys.

I get a really bad feeling when we enter a very large circular room filled with a lot of metal junk ranging from giant metal gears sticking out of the walls to literal scrap metal on the ground and...something else attached to the walls. The ceiling here is too high and insufficiently lit to even see what's going on there. It feels a little like a video game...a boss room to be more specific. As if that wasn't enough, I can actually feel something here...and it's rapidly descending.

Suddenly, something giant lands in front of us, kicking up dust and scattering metal bits everywhere. When the room clears out, I get a good look at a giant spider, but unlike the smaller mechanical ones, this guy has only four limbs and it's also composed of an insane amount of mannequins pressed together into a horrifying white mass. Each of its limbs' joints also has gold and silver rings decorating them with something written on them, but I can't make it out. To top it all off, the tip of each leg has a giant blade attached to it.

When the monster roars again, my attention is drawn to what looks like a emaciated human corpse sticking out of a warped metal coffin growing out of the spider's back. It tries to rise from the coffin, but then two mechanical arms push it back down, with one of them belonging to a strangely beautiful feminine figure on the left and the other being attached to a much more masculine humanoid figure on the right. For some reasons, both have mechanical wings growing out of their shoulders and neither seems to have any eyes.

As the corpse lies in the coffin, breathing heavily, the mechanical figures turn their heads to look at us.

"You are different." - the feminine one says.

"You are defective." - the masculine one continues.

"Different means defective. Imperfect. All imperfections must be eliminated. We know what's better for you." - they both finish in unison before the spider slams its front legs into the ground in front of it.

"Are you serious?! How the hell are you supposed to kill this thing?!" - I shout, pointing at the monster in question.

"S-Shouldn't you know?" - Manami asks.

"I mean yeah, I know, bu-"

I quickly roll out of the way before a giant mechanical limbs can crush me. Fortunately, I have enough stamina to do it a few more times until the damn thing gets stuck in the ground. With my nails turned into claws, I try to slash the now vulnerable limbs, but to my surprise, I can just barely scratch it. Even when Manami joins, her sword fails to inflict much damage. We both move out of the way when the monster pulls its limb out with an obnoxious metal groan.

It tries to crush us both a few more times and when that fails to work, the spider jumps so high I lose track of it. The magical girl, on the other hand, detaches her gun from her sword and starts blindly shooting above her. I can't tell if any of those bullets actually hit the mark and I'm not sure if that even matters.

"Alright, do you have any other abilities?" - I ask, making sure not to take my eyes off the ceiling.

"I can turn things into bombs, but this guy is too big for it to work." - she replies. That sounds awesome, but if it won't work here, then it might as well not exist.

Some sort of a sphere above us starts glowing brightly. I can't quite make it out, but I'm pretty damn sure it's the spider. Unfortunately, staring at the ceiling ends up temporarily blinding me when a beam of light hits me, but before a much more powerful laser can hit me, Manami grabs me by the waist and jumps out of the way. Damn it, I can't see what's going on...It feels like she's running and judging by that annoying whistling sound, the laser is following her. By the time I regain sight, she has has already stopped running.

As soon as it lands back onto the ground, the spider opens its mouth and spits out four smaller spiders. When one of them lunges at me, I knock its head off with a roundhouse kick. Two gunshots inform me that the redhead has already deal with her pair while I still have one more left...Wait...

"Hey, shrimp, can you turn this one into a bomb?" - I ask before smashing the monster in question into the ground, temporarily stunning it.

"Y-Yeah, it should work." - the girl confirms. In a few seconds, the redhead reaches me and taps the stunned spider with her sword, making it glow faintly.

"And how do you make it explode?" - I ask.

"Hit it very hard or throw it at something." - she replies.

I walk around the makeshift bomb and grab it by its hind legs. It tries to crawl away with little results until I start spinning. With a few more turns, I let it go and it crashes into its bigger counterpart, exploding on contact. Unfortunately, while that does make it stagger, it fails to really damage the giant. What the hell does it take to kill this thing?!

Soon, the spider recovers and immediately runs towards me. It proves to be much faster and so instead of trying to run away from it, I have to run between its legs to avoid getting skewered. It doesn't even flinch when Manami shoots it. At this rate, I'll run out of stamina unless I-

I bite back the scream when a giant metal blade embeds itself into my shoulder, pinning me to the ground. I finally let it out when the damn thing applies more pressure and severs my arm. The urge to just writhe and scream on the ground like any reasonable human should is very hard to resist and so I don't bother. I feel something pick me up before the ground shakes, but everything is too blurry to make out anything except for a red blob.

And then I feel it.

It's very hard to describe as I have nothing to compare it with...It's kinda...detached, but it's certainly not what people call an out of body experience. I just suddenly know that a part of me is now elsewhere. I can feel that part breathing and if I focus on it, I can see everything from a different angle. The pain is now gone too.

With some effort, I look around the giant room and finally see what's going on. The bloodstained metal blade that cut my arm off now has vines growing out of it and it has already taken over a quarter of the whole limb. In addition to that, there are white flowers with red eyes growing on the vines, all focused on me. When I turn my head to take a look at what's left of my arm, I also notice a trail of blood with very similar flowers growing out of it...I think I have an idea.

"The vines...growing out of its leg...Make them explode!"

With a nod, the magical girl runs towards the affected limb, easily dodging several strikes from the spider until she reaches her target and thrusts her sword into the vines. The giant quickly raises that limb to crush us, but as soon as it smashes the ground were Manami stood mere moments ago, the vines detonate and to my relief, the limb falls apart, leaving it with only one front leg.

"One more left. Can you get closer?"

Now that the spider can't afford to use its legs to attack, the mechanical figures on top of it clasp their hands and start charging their beam again, but then Manami shoots the sphere of energy, detonating it prematurely and temporarily stunning the spider, which in turn gives us enough time to get close to the other front limb.

I grit my teeth as I dig the claws of my remaining hand into what's left of the other one before swinging it outward, spraying blood onto the giant's leg. It takes only a few seconds for vines to start growing out of the gaps between the mannequins its composed of and once it spreads out far enough, the redhead thrusts her sword. This time, the spider doesn't try crushing us with its limbs and so Manami shoots the makeshift bomb instead, making the monster fall over.

"Now finish it off!"

This time, the girl puts me down before leaping towards the human corpse sticking out of the coffin. The mechanical figures next to it try to crush Manami with their arms, but they turn out to be much less durable and so one slash is enough to sever their arms. With two more slashes, both are severed from the spider's back, leaving the corpse completely defenceless. It just lies there, breathing heavily as the girl raises her sword and thrusts it into the giant's head. A black liquid sprays all over the poor kid when she pulls her weapon out before the whole thing starts collapsing into dust.

Then something falls onto the ground. It looks like a red glowing sphere...and it's so...I can't even put it into words. All I know is that it must become mine. I don't even mind crawling towards it just so I can get my hands on this thing. I think I can hear the girl saying something, but I'm not paying enough attention.

Once it's within my reach, I grab the sphere with my only remaining hand and take a closer look. It's almost like it's calling out to me except I don't hear anything aside from what sounds like a heart beating rapidly. Before I even realize it, I stuff the damn thing into my mouth and start chewing. It's feels like I'm trying to eat an empty glass, but I can't stop. I just keep chewing and swallowing until there's nothing left in my mouth.

"Zero-san, are you alright?" - Manami asks, clearly worried about me.

"Y...Yeah, I'm okay, just...gimme a sec." - I reply...Okay...That's an understatement, alright. I actually feel very good...I'd even say more...complete. Like I have just filled a gaping hole in my chest.

"Let's just...Let's just get out of here."


End file.
